Industrial
Melbourne Energy Group is a well-known leader in the solar industry with over 12 years of solar experience. We are a team of young vibrant individuals passionate about making a difference in the renewable energy industry..
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Project Requirements
The project required Melbourne Energy Group to:
- Install a commercial solar PV system across the poultry farm infrastructure.
- Provide battery storage for solar energy generated on site.
- Integrate the solar and battery system with the existing generator.
- Install a generator interlock to manage the interaction between energy sources.
- Establish communications between equipment located across separate buildings.
- Coordinate electrical shutdowns with the farm’s operating and backup power requirements.
- Complete installation work during the available gaps between poultry production cycles.
- Work within the farm’s site access and biosecurity requirements.
System Installed
Solar PV System
The 96 kWp solar array comprises:
- 160 × JA Solar JAM72D40-600/LB 600 W panels.
- 2 × Sungrow SH25T three-phase hybrid inverters.
- 1 × Sungrow DTSD1352-C1 three-phase energy meter.
The JA Solar modules use an n-type, bifacial, double-glass design suited to larger commercial installations.
System modelling completed during the design stage estimated annual solar generation of approximately 122,919 kWh. Actual generation will vary according to weather, site electricity demand, equipment performance and operating conditions.
The solar panels are supported by a 12-year product warranty and a 30-year performance warranty. The Sungrow hybrid inverters include a 10-year product warranty.
Battery Energy Storage
Four Sungrow SBH250 high-voltage lithium iron phosphate battery units provide a combined usable storage capacity of 100 kWh.
The battery system allows solar energy generated during the day to be stored for use when site demand exceeds available solar production or when solar generation is unavailable.
The modular battery configuration also provides flexibility to accommodate changes in the farm’s future energy requirements. The battery equipment is supported by a 10-year product warranty.
Metering and Wireless Communications
A Sungrow DTSD1352-C1 three-phase energy meter was incorporated into the system to support energy measurement and system control.
The main switchboard, poultry sheds, generator and solar equipment were positioned in different areas of the property. This distributed layout made communications between the equipment more complex than at a single-building commercial site.
Wireless communications were integrated to connect the inverter system with the Sungrow meter at the main switchboard. This provided the required system communication across the detached site infrastructure.
Generator Integration
The integration of the new solar and battery system with the farm’s existing generator was a key technical component of the project. Mechanically ventilated poultry sheds can depend on electricity for ventilation and environmental control. Electrical shutdowns, commissioning activities and changes to backup power infrastructure therefore require careful coordination to avoid interfering with critical site systems.
Melbourne Energy Group incorporated a generator interlock into the electrical design to manage how the generator, solar system and battery equipment interact. The interlock provides the required separation between energy sources and prevents conflicting operating conditions.
The completed arrangement brought the generator into the broader site energy configuration while accounting for the physical separation between the generator, main switchboard and renewable energy equipment.
Project Delivery
Delivering solar and battery infrastructure at an operational poultry farm required installation planning around production schedules, biosecurity controls and the continuity of existing electrical systems.
Melbourne Energy Group could not undertake work in or around the poultry sheds while chickens were present. Installation activities therefore had to be completed within short access periods between production cycles.
These restricted windows required labour, equipment and materials to be coordinated before access became available. Roof work, electrical installation, cable routing and related activities had to be completed before the sheds returned to operation.
Biosecurity was another important site consideration. Contractors, vehicles, tools and equipment can introduce or spread disease between poultry facilities. Site access and work activities therefore needed to be coordinated with the farm’s established biosecurity requirements.
The distributed site layout added further complexity. The main switchboard, poultry sheds, generator, solar equipment and battery system were not located within a single building. Cable routes, equipment positioning, metering and system controls had to be designed around multiple detached structures.
Electrical work and commissioning also needed to account for the farm’s existing generator and its role in maintaining backup power. The generator interlock and wireless communications formed essential parts of the final system configuration.
Key delivery considerations included:
- Restricted installation windows between poultry production cycles.
- Site access and biosecurity requirements.
- Coordination of workers, vehicles, tools and equipment entering the property.
- Continuity of existing electrical and backup power arrangements.
- Integration of the generator, solar PV and battery systems.
- Electrical infrastructure distributed across detached buildings.
- Long-distance metering and communications requirements.
- Installation and commissioning within tightly controlled timeframes.
Project Outcomes
The completed installation provides the poultry farm with an integrated energy system combining on-site solar generation, battery storage and its existing generator infrastructure.
The project delivered:
- Coordinated operation of the solar, battery and generator infrastructure.
- A generator interlock designed to prevent conflicting operating conditions.
- Wireless communications between equipment located across the property.
- Central energy measurement through a three-phase Sungrow meter.
- A modular battery platform capable of supporting changes in the site’s future energy requirements.
- Completion within the restricted access periods available between poultry production cycles.
- Installation planned around the farm’s operational and biosecurity requirements.
The system is designed to increase the use of solar energy generated on site and reduce electricity drawn from the grid. Actual energy and financial outcomes will depend on site consumption, electricity tariffs, system settings and ongoing generation performance.
Commercial Solar and Battery Systems for Agricultural Sites
Agricultural solar and battery projects require more than equipment selection. Production schedules, biosecurity, backup power, detached buildings and existing electrical infrastructure must be considered during system design and installation planning.
Melbourne Energy Group designs and installs commercial solar, battery storage and energy-management systems for agricultural and regional businesses across Victoria.